Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995. On Saturday Night Live, Farley frequently collaborated with his fellow cast members Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, among others. This group came to be known as the "Bad Boys of SNL." Popular characters performed by Farley included himself on "The Chris Farley Show," a sketch involving a talk show in which Farley quite often "interviewed" the guest, got very nervous and asked simple-minded or irrelevant questions, such as what their favorite rock band was; Matt Foley, an over-the-top motivational speaker who constantly reminded other characters that he "lived in a van, down by the river"; Todd O'Connor of Bill Swerski's Superfans, a group of stereotypical Chicagoans who constantly shouted "da Bears!";, a Chippendale's dancer, in a famous sketch that paired him with guest host Patrick Swayze; one of the "Gap Girls," who hung out together at a local mall; a stereotypical lunch lady, to the theme of Lunchlady Land performed by Adam Sandler; and Bennett Brauer, a Weekend Update commentator who often divulged his personal and hygienic problems through air quotes. Farley also performed impersonations of Tom Arnold, who gave Farley's eulogy at his private funeral; Andrew Giuliani, Jerry Garcia, Meat Loaf, Norman Schwarzkopf, Dom DeLuise, Roger Ebert, Carnie Wilson, Newt Gingrich, Mindy Cohn, Mama Cass, Hank Williams, Jr., and Rush Limbaugh were among the celebrities and real-life figures he impersonated. After he got fired from Saturday Night Live along with Adam Sandler, he was well-known for his roles as Thomas "Tommy" Callahan III in Tommy Boy (co-starring David Spade), Mike Donnelly in Black Sheep (also co-starring David Spade) and as Haru in Beverly Hills Ninja (co-starring Chris Rock). He also made a cameo on February 10, 1996 during the "Spade in America" sketch and hosted Saturday Night Live on October 25, 1997, which was two months before his death in December. Death On December 18, 1997, Farley was found dead by his younger brother John in his apartment in the John Hancock Center in Chicago. An autopsy later revealed that Farley had died of a drug overdose early that morning. Advanced atherosclerosis was cited as a "significant contributing factor." Farley's death is often compared to that of his SNL idol John Belushi, who also died at age 33 of an accidental drug overdose consisting of cocaine and heroin. Over five hundred people attended his funeral, many of the actors and comedians who had worked with him on Saturday Night Live. Farley was posthumously awarded the 2,289th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 26, 2005, which is located at 6366 Hollywood Blvd., in front of iO West. Characters / Impressions Characters Impressions SNL Career * 1990-1991: Member of middle cast group * 1991-1995: Repertory Player * February 10, 1996: Cameo * October 25, 1997: Host Gallery zv.png|Farley in the opening montage Category:Cast Category:Hosts Category:1990s Cast Members Category:Cast Members who Hosted Category:Bad Boys of SNL Category:Season 16 Cast Category:Season 17 Cast Category:Season 18 Cast Category:Season 19 Cast Category:Season 20 Cast Category:Deceased Cast Members